Ink fountain for printing presses



oct. 19, 19481. A, w ANGER 2,451,634

INK FOUNTAIN FR PRINTING PRESSES FIG.

'INVENTM ARTHUR w. kA Nas/z Afd 0t.19,194s. Aw. RANGER 2,451,634

INK FOUNTAIN FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed sept'. 21, 194e l 5vsheets-sheet 2 (TLT 24 :i

FIG. n :NVENToR VARTHUR w R'ANQER Oct. 19, 1948. A. w. RANGER INKFOUNTAIN FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Sept. 2l, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3Patented Cet. 19, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 2,451,634 INKFOUNTAIN FOR PRJNTING PRESSES Arthur Willard Ranger, Brighton, EnglandApplication September 21, 1946, Serial No. 698,568 In Great BritainSeptember 22, 1945 This invention relates to mechanism for controllingthe ink supply on printing and similar presses, and has for itsprincipal objects the more accurate and positive control of the amountof ink released from the duct or reservoir, and the provision of meansfor rapidly opening up the duct for cleaning purposes and for closing itthereafter without affecting the previous ad justment of the controllingelements.

The usual form of reservoir or duct consists of a metal roller mountedon the press in suitable fixed bearings, and provided with means forautomatic rotation in one direction only. A flexible steel blade ismounted adjacent to this roller, at an angle of about 30 degrees, withits lower surface resting on a number of screws or other adjustingdevices in such a manner that the edge of the blade may be moved intovarying degrees of proximity to the lower portion'of the roller. Thisblade `and roller together form a trough, the ends of which are closedby suitable blocks, and this trough receives the bulk ink supply.Rotation of the roller past the bladeedge conveys a film of ink from theduct, the thickness yof this nlm being determined by adjusting thescrews. The screws act positively only when pressing the blade towardsthe roller, as they are not connected to the blade, and when retractedallow it to spring away from the roller only SQ far as the adjacentscrews permit. This method of C031- trolling the'blade is very uncertainin its results and causes much loss of time by the operator in settingthe duct correctly, as he has no means of positivelyretracting the bladeat any point needing a larger supply of ink.

Further, when the duct has to be cleaned out, it is necessary to removethe blade from its seating. Immediately this is done, the spring of theblade, when released from the unequal pressures of the adjusting screws,so affects the setting that even when replacedwith the utmost care, muchre-adjustment is needed before the correct supply is renewed.

In order to overcome these difficulties, an ink duct according to theinvention is provided with means for setting the blade which are'adapted to act upon the blade positively both during the advance andretraction of the blade.'

The means for setting the blade are preferably Y `carried by across-member or trough which is so mounted and provided with means formoving it relatively to the duct roller, for instance to open and toclose the trough, that such moveyment can be effected Withoutinterference/with the setting of the blade.

Y 1 Claim. (Cl. 101e-364) Registering stops, preferably adjustable, areprovided to ensure that the trough, when returned, is in its correctposition.

The above arrangements thus enable cleaning to be eiected withoutdisturbance of the original setting of the blade, an-d as the bladeremains held yindependently of its own elasticity or spring, the needfor re-setting is eliminated.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan of one form of inking apparatus according to theinvention applied to a dat bed printing press.

.Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation on II-IL Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation, partly in section, and

Figure 4 is a plan showing the cross-member or trough and some partsconnected with it, detached.

Figure 5 is aside sectional elevation on V-V, Figure 4, this figurebeing on a larger scale to show the details more clearly,

Figure 6 is a front view illustrating the screw for Opening and closingthe duct, and one formv and is rotated in one direction by known pawl,

and ratchet mechanism.

,A rigid crossemember 4 has lugs 5, Figures 3 to 5, for la .shaft 6,Figure 2, or fulcrum pins, carried by the frame 3, so that it ispivotally mounted beneath the duct roller I. Two end blocks 1 aresecured to the cross-member 4 and adapted to nt closely to the ends ofVthe duct roller when the cross-member is in the closed position.

A thin dat metal blade 8 reinforced at its rear edge by bars 9 and I0,Figure 5, is firmly secured to the cross-member 4 at this position byscrews II, its front edge being in close proximity to the lower surfaceof the duct roller I.

The blade r8 is provided with a number of screws I2 near its front edge.The screws are firmly locked to it by nuts I3 so that they cannotrotate. Each screw I2 engages within a screw threaded pole in a pin I4freely mounted in a hole or slot 29 in the cross-member 4.

Each pin I4 has a retaining iiange I5 and a retaining shoulder I6, thelower solid end of the pin being knurled to form a knob so that the pincan be easily rotated. A stiif spring washer may be inserted between theshoulder I6 and the adjacent surface of the cross-member 4, or, as

indicated in Figure 3, piano wire I'I may be twisted around the sleeves.

When a pin I4 is rotated in one direction, its screw forces the adjacentportion or the blade 8 towards the ductJ roller I, and when rotated inthe opposite direction, it retracts the adjacent portion of the blade 8.There is a positive a-ction in both instances, that is, .both when theblade is advanced and retracted, and Vthis occurs in the proximity ofeach screw I2, and as there may be a considerable number of screws alongthe front edge of the blade, the relation of that edge to the ductroller can be varied along its length which is frequently desirable, sothat the ink supply at ldilerent positions can b e varied.

The opening and closing of the duct is eiected by means of ascrew-threaded rod I8 engaging within a screw-threaded hole in a blockI9 pivotally mounted on the cross-member 4, the block I9 having a pivotpin 29 freely carried in a lug 2| and provided with a retaining nut 22.The

rod I8 has a hand wheel 23 and is mounted inl a hole in a block 24pivotally mounted on the main frame 3 by a pivot pin 25 provided with aretaining nut 26, Figure 6.

By rotation of the hand wheel in one direction or the other, thecross-member 4 is raised orv lowered, the degree to which it can beraised being determined or registered by an adjustablel stop; in thisparticular example, a screw 2l in a tapped hole in a lug 28 on the frame3.

By adjusting the screw 21, the duct can be` set to be opened to variousdegrees or positions, three positions being usually required for light,medium and heavy inking.

If desired, an adjusting rod I8 and a stop 21 can be arranged at eachend of the cross-member 4 and the rods I8 may be interconnected by across shaft and bevel gears so as to lbe operable` simultaneously by ahand wheel on one side only It will be understood that once the blade 8.has been set or adjusted by the screws I2 toj suit the particular job tobe printed, the inking duct including the cross member 4 and blade 8,Acan be Vopened intact for cleaning purposes andk then be closed, withoutany interference with the setting or adjusting of the blade, thuspermitting of a great saving of time and labour.

Although the cross-member 4 is held in position by the rod I8 againstthe stop 2l, additional' means such as locking screws, catches or thelike may be provided to secure it to the frame 3 of the press when inthe closed position. It will bef noticed that each of the screws I2operates positively on the blade, both when advancing and retracting,both positive operations occurring at the same point and being eiectedby the same SCIeW.

The holes 29 are in the form of open ended slots in order to facilitateremoval of the blade 8 together with its adjusting screws II and pinsI4, for the purpose of re-conditioning or repair of the blade, it beingunderstood that the screws II are then removed.

An ink reservoir or duct according to the invention provides forpositive and rapid control of the ink supply and retains adjustment whenopened for cleaning or other purposes. Opening and closing is quick,eiiicient and clean, and correct re-positioning of blade and blocksrelatively to the roller is definitely assured.

I claim:

An ink duct for a printing press of the type comprising a duct roller, atrough including an inclined, pivotally supported cross-member, and endblocks, a thin metal blade for engagement with the duct roller, meansfor setting the blade relatively to the duct roller, said blade-settingmeans being adapted to act upon the blade positively both during advanceand retraction of the blade, a screw-threaded rod and a hand-wheel, formoving said cross-member about its pivotal support to open and close thetrough, a support for said rod pivotally mounted on the frame of theprinting pIeSS, a nut for operative screwthreaded engagement with saidrod, said nut being pivotally mounted on said cross-member, and anadjustable stop on the frame of the press for limiting the closingmovement of said cross-member and thereby determining the closedpositionof the trough.

ARTHUR WILLARD RANGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 124,907 Morse Mar. 26, 1872194,218 Campbell Aug. 14, 1877 943,218 Cottrell Dec. 14, 1909 984,913Hayes Feb. 21, 1911 1,153,315 Kellogg Sept. 14, 1915

